---- needle and thread

what did ladies do before television?

they got creative:

knitting, sewing, crochet, darning and embroidery:

I learned to sew at school:

we tackled knitting {I was rubbish}

I watched my Mama crochet and picked it up:

now embroidery ....

a little gingham needlecase, with a blanket stitched edge,

made at junior school:

do children learn such things anymore?

on my Summer holiday I want to create

a freeform embroidery:

fabric, silks and needles will take up little

room and weight in my suitcase:

Trudi {my late mother-in-law} was a prolific

embroiderer:

her twin sister Lottie was too:

their pieces are beautiful:

all sewn on the best German cotton:

with colour changing silks:

and divinely muted colours:

they made cloths for each other:

 table mats with applique

and the tiniest tiniest neatest stitches:

real inspiration:

{if anyone knows how to remove ancient food stains 

from such delicacies, please tell}